"assembled together in Iconium, a city of Phrygia, from "Galatia, Cilicia, and the neighbouring regions, determined "to maintain and assert against the pretensions of heretics*.” And in another part of the same Epistle he informs us, that they had at least an annual meeting of this authoritative Synod or Council. "Qua ex causa (says he) necessario "apud nos fit, ut per singulos annos seniores et præpositi "in unum conveniamus ad disponenda ea quæ curæ nostræ "commissa sunt:" i. e. "Wherefore we find it necessary "that our elders and rulers assemble every year, for settling "those things which are committed to our care." Epist. lxxv.

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In fine, omitting the accounts of many other Synods, which might easily be produced from the writings of Cyprian, we are informed by Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical History, book vii. chap. xxix, that, in the reign of Aurelian, a Synod of many ministers met at Antioch, and excommunicated Paul of Samosatena from their different churches. " Kat' or (says he) τελευταίας συγκροτηθεισης πλείςων όσων επισκοπων συνόδου, φωραθεις και προς άπαντων ηδη σαφως καταγνωσθείς ετεροδοξίαν ὁ της κατα αντιοχειαν διρεσεως αρχηλος της ύπο τον ουρανον καθολικής εκκλησίας αποκηρυττεται. And in this Synod we are told, in the preceding chapter, that there were, among others, Firmilian, bishop of Caesarea, now mentioned; Gregory and Athenodorus, brothers, pastors of churches in Pontus; Helenus, minister of the church at Tarsis; and Nicomas, minister of the church in Iconium: with Hymeneus, bishop of Jerusalem; Theotecnus, bishop of Cesarea in Palestine, near Jerusalem; and Maximus, bishop of Bostra. Thus, then, it appears that authoritative courts, superior to the governors of a particular congregation, are not only clearly authorized by reason as necessary and useful, and sanctioned by scripture as divinely appointed, but existed even in the earliest period of the Christian church; and consequently that the scheme for which Independents contend is not less contrary to the representations of antiquity, than it seems to be to reason and scripture.

"Dionysius of Alexandria," says Marshall," in his Third "Epistle on Baptism, as represented to us by Eusebius, book vii. chap. 7, tells Philemon, to whom he wrote, that the Africans were not the first introducers of baptizing heretics; but that the "bishops, assembled at Iconium and Synnada, had long before de"termined the question"—which, too, proves that this council was authoritative.

I have now finished what I intended when I began these Letters-a Vindication of the Presbyterian plan of churchgovernment. That I have refuted all the arguments or objections of Independents I do not pretend, for as each of their congregations is unconnected with the rest in point of administration, there may be as many ecclesiastical constitutions, and as many diversities of sentiment with regard to government among them, as there are congregations. But who would profess to detail or examine the whole of these systems? Besides, as it is another of the principles of most of our modern Independents, that written confessions, exhibiting their view of the meaning of scripture, are unlawful, it is extremely difficult to ascertain the tenets even of a few of them, on this, or any other point of doctrine. This principle certainly has its own advantages, and must be particularly suitable to the plan of those who are frequently changing their religious sentiments. It is extremely disadvantageous however to the public at large, who can have no certain way of discovering their tenets, while, in another point of view, it is no less injurious to themselves, as it fre quently obliges the most impartial inquirers to commit involuntary mistakes in attempting to state their principles. If, in the preceding pages therefore, there be any mistakes with regard to the sentiments of Independents, it is again requested that they may not be ascribed to a design wilfully to distort or misrepresent them. Against this, as far as the author was aware, he has endeavoured to guard, and he should be sorry indeed, if, in the view which he has delivered of any doctrine or argument, he had yielded to its influence in the slightest degree. And conscious as he is that he has attempted, as far as he could ascertain the truth respecting their principles, to know and to state it, if, in any instance, he has erred, he must beg leave, without any intention invidiously to sneer at this particular principle, to set it down to the account of their wanting any public and written confession-a peculiarity however which may be followed, at least in the conviction of Independents, with advantages which will more than compensate such evils.

z 2

APPENDIX I.

ON THE

JEWISH SYNAGOGUES AND SANHEDRIN.

To the argument from the constitution and proceedings of the Jewish Synagogue and Sanhedrin, illustrated in Letter VI. it has been objected that they were merely human inventions, not introduced till after the Babylonish captivity, and therefore could not be designed as a pattern to Christian churches. That they were introduced only at this period, is a point which has been warmly, and with considerable plausibility, contested by many distinguished ecclesiastical writers of antiquity.

66.

It is highly probable, however, that synagogues, to a certain degree, were coeval with the settlement of the Israelites in Judea. It was the office of many of the Levites, who were exempted from agriculture and other secular employments, and were dispersed through the various districts of the land, not only to offer sacrifices, but to instruct the people in the truths of religion; for this maxim is mentioned by Malachi, chap. ii. 7, as established in every age of their church, that "the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and .they should seek the law at his mouth; for he was the messenger of the Lord of hosts." But how could they so conveniently communicate this instruction as by collecting the people into synagogues or assemblies? It would seem also, that without some such convocation or assembly, from the very beginning, the Sabbath could not have been observed by them; for it is expressly said, Lev. xxiii. 3, that the Sabbath was to the Israelites a holy convocation, or for a holy convocation, in or among all their dwellings. If no such convocation was observed then, throughout the whole nation, till after the captivity, there was no public worship except at Jerusalem-a circumstance which must appear highly extraordinary, when we reflect that they were the

only visible church of God in existence at that period. Nor will it be easy to account for the following description of the ravages of the enemies of the Jews, probably at the time of the captivity: "They have destroyed all the synagogues of "God in the land," bx, Psal lxxiv. 8, where, says a respectable. critic, not only from , convenire fecit ad locum tempusque statutum, is properly translated synagogues, in which the people were statedly to meet for religious worship, but the words > and r¬x, all the synagogues-in the land, being added, prevent us from explaining this expression, as some do, only of the temple, and holy places belonging to it, at Jerusalem.

Farther, as synagogues, however they might be altered after the captivity, appear to have existed many ages before; so, the sanhedrin, or court of seventy elders, though it also might be altered at this period, was most probably of much earlier origin. The learned Selden says, that nothing is more certain from the sacred scripture, than that it was instituted the second year after the children of Israel came out of Egypt. "Ita nihil certius est quam eam, ut e scriptura "diximus, anno exitus secundo tribuendam *." He quotes also Archbishop Usher, Capellus, Perkins, Temporarius, Codomannus, Scaliger, Helvicus, Calvisius, Buntingius, Massæus, and many others of the most distinguished ecclesiastical antiquaries, as attributing to it an origin nearly similar. Lightfoot likewise, with Grotius, Lowman, and many of the most illustrious names in Biblical literature, might here be adduced as of this opinion, together with a long list of Jewish doctors, as appears from their Talmuds.

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The institution of this court seems plainly to be pointed out in Numb. xi. 16, 17. " And the Lord said unto Moses, "Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom "thou knowest to be elders of the people, and officers over "them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. And I will "come down, and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, "that thou bear it not thyself alone.” "The general design of the institution of these seventy," says the judicious Lowman, "was, as is here said, that they might bear

Selden de Synedriis Hebræorum, p. 631.

"the burden along with Moses, that he might not bear it "alone. This sure cannot be meant of the common and or"dinary administration of justice, which had been provided "for just before in the Jethronian præfectures. As far then "as they were to assist Moses in matters judiciary, it could "only be in those greater matters, which, as reserved causes, "were to be brought before Moses; or such difficult ques"tions as were referred by appeal from the inferior judges. "In this sense, this court of the seventy elders will be a "constitution not much unlike the (ancient) parliament of "Paris, so far as that was a court of law. But this was "not the only end for which this court was instituted. The "immediate occasion of its institution was the complaint of "Moses on the murmuring and sedition of the people and "the displeasure of God; that fire was sent to consume them. "that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. It is in "answer to this complaint of Moses on this occasion, that

the Lord said, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders " of Israel—that they may stand with thee: and they shall "bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it "not thyself alone. We see plainly that these seventy were "to be co-adjutors to Moses in his councils, how to answer "the people's complaints, and to advise what would be best to do on all occasions, especially of greater difficulty; to preserve peace and good order among the people, and to "prevent those mutinies which would likely prove fatal to "the whole nation, if not remedied by some means or other. "In this view," he adds, "the seventy elders will appear "to be designed not only as a standing court of law and "equity to assist Moses as judge in causes of greater con"sequence, and in appeals, but to assist the judge with their "advice upon every occasion; this was properly to bear the "burden of the people with Moses, that he might not bear "it himself alone. For now the judge would not bear alt "the envy or ill-will of the people when dissatisfied or uneasy with any part of the administration, for the common

people, though they know very little of the reasons of any "administration, are yet apt to think every thing wrong "that does not please them, or which is attended with diffi"culties to themselves or the public. Now a council of ❝ seventy persons, of the most approved wisdom and integrity, would at least share this burden among them all, "instead of throwing the whole on one man. And it would